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2012-01-19 - Birds Should Be Free
Damian Wayne has slipped his minders again, and donning his white costume he ghosts through the streets of Macao on another of one of his little crime fighting outings. Well, that's what he likes to call them but really he's fighting people who just happen to be criminals, in a bloody imitation of what he reads in the Gotham papers of his Father's exploits. Tonight's target, Tommy Woo, muscle for the Golden Dragons gang in Macao. A scumbag, one of the people who take up space on a planet already too crowded with similar beings of little worth. Though at least this scumbag could fight. The word was he killed two cops bare handed and had killed a number of his own men in the same fashion. Just the sort of challenge Damian was looking for. So, when he crouches in the rooftop shadows across from the bar that Tommy was said to frequent, he was tense and eager waiting for his prey to show himself so he could strike. Things are too quiet though for a few minutes of waiting, before suddenly the sound of gunfire is heard. Your target, looks about to be taken away from your eager little fingers, to slip right between them! Unless Damian things fast! Inside is a man in clothing similar to the League of Assassins, except he wears a red cloth mask. The uniform will change over time, but for now, Jason is only just now remembering who he was, what he was, and with Talia as a mentor he only things to kill. Sadly, he isn't the only one mimicking tonight inside that building. People are running outside, the so-called innocents, screaming, some blood splattered, but uninjured. Delicacy is apparently not a train the person within has. Damian curses in Arabic when the gunfire starts. This was not what he planned. The smart play was to move on let things take their course, but it had been too long since his last outing and so Damian leaps off the roof, landing in the canopy above the door, rolling and landing on the street. A few of the so-called innocents stare at the boy in the white hooded cloak but he shouts < Mind your own goddamned business > in Cantonese as he rushes towards the little club. He doesn't stop for the glass doors, he rolls through them coming up with his sword in hand, the curved blade of the Katana glinting in the garish neon of the club. He moves quickly for cover as his eyes scan the room for his target and whoever was doing the shooting. He doesn't have to look far. Tommy Woo, with a couple of his bodyguard pop up from behind the bar and open fire in the direction of the red masked figure. The gangster is wounded from the man in the mask's early barrage but he still keeps firing while clutching the bleeding wound in his chest. The man in the cloth red mask has ducked down, and has a gun pointed at you as the white cloaked figure rolls in, sword ready. "What the...," it's English...but then a shrug, and he pops up over the counter he was ducked behind. He doesn't just pop up, the man lifts himself up without fear of the bullets and leaps rolls to the floor and comes up firing at the bodyguards first as he keeps moving to duck behind an indoor pillar. The Red Hood calls out in Mandarin, the Chinese language spoke by a higher percentage of Chinese, < Hey, bitch! If you bark, maybe I'll let you go! > Like hell he will, he's just playing with Jimmy Woo now, planting doubt. < Or maybe I'll let the kid play with you instead! I heard he actually has some minor talent. > The two bodyguards go down. Their blood and brains splattered on the wall behind them. "Tt. Guns," Damian says as he watches the Red Hood take them down with no more concern than if the man had been shooting at targets instead of flesh and blood people. < Not a kid > Damian counters to the man in the red mask. Tommy Woo seems to take the death of his men a lot more seriously. He crouches down behind a table, blood dripping through the hand on his wound. < Let me go and the Dragons will let this affront pass without reprisal. Kill me and you will never know peace again. > < Your threats are meaningless. Save your breath and die like a man > Damian shouts at the man, then he moves. A throwing blade is whipped under the tables to strike Woo's leg. The man staggers to his feet firing his gun wildly, while Damian runs through the tables to get close enough for the kill with his sword. Red Hood has a very clean shot at both of them if he wants it. But the man doesn't take the shot. Talia would KILL him! Anyway, you usually don't piss off your lover like that by murdering her kid and then try to lie and say it was an 'accident'. Red Hood understands that much anyway. He does step out though, covering Little Wing as he works to finish off Jimmy Woo just in case. But he lets the kid fight his own battle, he already had Woo wounded from earlier. Woo to his credit doesn't make it easy. Damian leaps the last table and the gangster raises his gun to take a shot. There is a clink of steel on steel and Damian knocks the gun aside the shot ripping through the ceiling. Though it left Damian open, Tommy kicks Damian in the gut and tries to ready another shot, but a blade materializes in Damian's free hand and he drives it's point up under Tommy's chin. < Would have been more sporting if you weren't injured > he says as the man's blood stains his blue gauntlets red. Damian jerks the knife free and tosses it on the ground so he can grip his sword with both and in a single stroke remove the gangster's head. When it's done he flicks the blood off the sword and turns to face the Red Hood. Hearing him speak English before he chooses that tongue to carry on their conversation, he nods at his clothing recognizing the League garb "Were you sent to ruin my fun?" he asks. "You leap in without thinking first kid," the Red Hood speaks in English, instinct for him, so he doesn't complaint. "And nope, didn't realize you be here. Only recognize you cause I've seen you from afar before. Not many League members with your training, and your size, you stick out like a white boy in a black neighborhood." Hey, that's baaaad in some areas of the city, very bad actually. "Come on kid." The man actually turns his back on Damian and expects the kid to follow him. Sheer confidence is in that move, and a total lack of fear. There is also a lack of respect. Perhaps he doesn't fear death, so lives like he wants to die. Damian snorts his eyes narrowing in the shadows of his hood. "I don't need to think too hard to deal with this sort of scum," he counters before the Red Hood turns his back. The insult sends red hot needles of anger through his gut and before he even realizes it he's throwing a blade at the Red Hood's back and running in behind it to follow up with a swing of his sword. Red Hood spins about and catches the blade, flipping it in his hand to actually block the swing of the sword with it and his gun. The knife slides upward, the gun downward to more point at Damian. "If it was not for owing Talia...," the warning clear. "I am not one of your minions," he growls out. That is when Talia's voice is heard, "Jaybird, are you fighting with my Little Wing?" There isn't a lot of emotional inflection there, but it's still enough to cause Red Hood to stiffen slightly. "He started it," the man growls. Yep...he has a temper, same as Damian. "For owing my mother what?" Damian counters looking up at the gun with the same fearlessness and disregard for death as Jason has. Fear of Talia though, is a different matter, her voice makes his spine stiffen. He steps back his sword lowering. "I had it handled, Mother," he says as he slides the weapon into its sheath on his back. Talia walks further inside, two League members lingering behind to watch the door. Talia barely glances about with seeming indifference. "This is mostly Jaybird's work." She glances over at the man, "Why do you even try? Can't you see this isn't what you are meant for?" The one Talia calls Jaybird just snorts at that, "Shouldn't you be paying attention to your little brat." WHACK! "Ow, shit woman!" Jason slips his gun away to rub the back of his head. See, THIS is why he gets a metal helmet later! "You always did and always will have a big mouth." Talia sighs at that and looks over at her son. "Little Wing, what do you think you are doing? I expect this from Jaybird, but you?" Damian smirks just slightly to see 'Jaybird' chastised. Though when Talia turns his attention to him he frowns and looks up at her defiantly. "Practicing," he says simply. Not entirely a lie but enough of one that he might be punished for it. "I thought you would be pleased," he adds trying to play on her heart strings. Of course if he really thought that he would not have been sneaking out. Talia frowns distinctively, "I have acquired the best of the best to be your teachers, Little Wing. /They/ are who you should practice on, not such scum which is beneath you; as is lying," her tone disapproving as is he expression. Damian will have a busy, battle hard day tomorrow. Jaybird snorts at that, "You can't cage a bird Talia," and if Damian isn't quick enough, the Red Hood will reach out and snatch the white hood from Damian's head roughly to reveal his face. "I'll know /THAT/ face anywhere," almost hatred borders in his tone. There is a dark fire in his dark eyes as he looks at Damian. Talia frowns at that, "That is enough Jaybird," the warning clear. Jaybird then nods, "I assume you were heading somewhere and not out for us? Not with what you are wearing." It is a beautiful, though sensual dress, with elegant designs that speak of prestige and power. "You are correct, I have business. You can escort Little Wing back, but no fighting," she warns the two of her boys. There is a faint twitch when he is caught lying but he lowers his head as he is supposed to and intones "Yes, mother," he says. He doesn't stop his hood from being removed and indeed studies the Red Hood for a moment when he makes comments about his face. He knew his Father. Interesting. He looks back to Talia then, and frowns when she assigns the Red Hood to escort him home. "I can make it home on my own," he growls peevishly. "I do not need his or anyone's protection." And to prove it he makes a break for the exit, ready to draw his sword and cut down the two League members securing it if they try to stop him. Well, if he gets that far. Talia nods to Jaybird, and the Red Hood is after the brat. The Legion members step out of the way as the boy and young man race past them. Red Hood seems to not have difficult keeping up, "Moron, I'm just a babysitter to make sure you go straight home," is the Hood's annoyed response. "And one street to your right has easier free running on the roof tops." Damian turns when he sees that the Red Hood isn't planning on stopping him. "Who are you?" he demands once they're free of the club and out of Talia's earshot. "And how do you know my Father?" A growl comes from Jaybird, "I sure as hell don't want to talk about it with you kid. Not like you would ever pass muster with him anyway." And as Jaybird moves to take the lead to the roof tops, he shows how to /fly/! He doesn't just race and jump, he seems to glide on the air when he is there, and when he lands there is no halt in motion. Perhaps how he got part of the name Talia calls him, least the bird part. "No one is more important than his damn 'mission'." "Not a kid," Damian growls back then he's moving after Jaybird, he's not as quick, he lacks the smoothness and grace, but he keeps moving anyhow. Trying to keep up. "And why wouldn't he approve of me?" he says. After all he was perfect, and his son. "You don't know?" That causes the Red Hood to laugh. "Then don't let me ruin the surprise!" He keeps running, before he finally says, "Can you keep up al Ghul?" The buildings have risen in height as the two of you ran and leapt, and now it drops off into seemingly nothing. But Jaybird only picks up speed, his heart thudding with excitement. "Tt. Of course I can," Damian says and puts on the speed to try and catch up. Though the yawning drop ahead gives him pause "What are you doing?" he demands as their roof top run vanishes ahead of them. And Jaybird only slows down slightly at the end so he doesn't end up too far ahead of you, because what he does? Damian will be thankful for in his own way...because there is NOTHING below them except traffic and yawning, deadly space. An arm lashes out and grabs Damian about his waist, and the Red Hood laughs as the two fall. But as the suspense builds, there is a grapple gun freed from his waist by his other hand and he shoots it off to catch the building across the way and soon the two of them are swinging not up to that building as the line shortens, but rather around it and to the roof of the building beside it. There was almost...joy in Red Hood's voice then at the free fall and the swing. He lives dangerously...he leaves on the edge, with no true care for his own life. But, it can also be exhilarating! Damian tries to push Red Hood's hands off of him until they go over the edge. Then in free fall he grabs onto him eyes going wide. He bites back as scream but then they're swinging and the falling stops. That's when the scream becomes a shout and he lands hard on the roof knees bent. "You're insane," he says to Red Hood breathing hard. Though it's not an insult. Jaybird lands with practiced easy, dropping Damian to catch himself as he rolls and is soon back to his feet. And that is when the grin can finally be heard in Red Hood's tone, "Yes, I am. Woke up that way after a nightmare, and been broken ever since. Isn't it grand?!" And he laughs! "Birds are meant to fly free kiddo! The old man, he puts on too many shackles and....got a feeling, even Talia is trying to tighten them." He hrms thoughtfully, but keeps his mouth mostly shut. No, best not to let the kid on his plans of leaving Talia. Their fun is over and done with. He...he -NEEDS- to be -FREE-! "Let's finish getting you home kiddo so Talia doesn't make life more miserable for us." Something quieted him, as if it snuffed the joy out of Jaybird. Something is /wrong/ with him, but it's difficult to pinpoint what it is. Damian blinks over at Jaybird as he recovers from the swinging. He shakes it off and listens to Jaybird rant. When he starts to go quiet, and when even Damian can see he is upset, Damian frowns. "What is it?" he asks Jaybird somewhat peevishly crossing his arms. "I liked you better when you were ranting." A tilt of Red Hood's head and he hrms? He then smirks beneath that red cloth mask and chuckles, "That so? I'll be sure to be a little more crazy for you Little Wing." A hint of sarcastic humor. But he's walking away toward a fire escape he knows is there, and the entrance to Damian's temporary home here is nearby. Jaybird pauses atop the ladder however, looking down at it. After a few seconds of quiet he says, "A word of advice: Don't cage yourself. They are the worse to break from." Red Hood then starts to head down the fire escape, sliding down most of the way rather than taking the actual step railings. Damian replies "Good," before he gets that cryptic advice. He watches Jaybird descend "Tt. Noted," he says before he grabs the railing and slides down after him.